New Music Tuesday: Vol 1-2025.
New Year, New Music, Same Old Snark
Just one week into the new year, and we have a ton of great new music to discuss. Here are a few of my picks for this week.
Olivia Ellen Lloyd - “Do It Myself”
One of the first country music hits written from a modern woman’s perspective was “It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels.” The Kitty Wells classic remains one of the best clap-backs in history, but it served a much larger purpose. In Nicholas Dawidoff’s out-of-print 1997 book, In the Country of Country - People and Places in American Music, he quotes Loretta Lynn citing Wells’ singing from a woman’s perspective as a major reason she started writing songs and performing live.
“I think with [“Honky Tonk Angels” Wells] touched in me what I was living and what I was going through, and I knew there was a lot of women that lived like me.”
Lynn went on to write and sing songs that inspired the next generation of women to craft songs about a woman’s “point of view in everyday life” that became classic country music. Lynn, Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris, Patty Loveless, Martina McBride, Reba, Miranda Lambert and Margo Price, among many others, can trace their place in the industry back to Wells.
Not every day a new song immediately makes you consider its place within the foundational lineage of the genre. But Lloyd’s latest single, “Do It Myself,” fits perfectly into this history — by outlining its next chapter, providing a real view of real life — from a woman’s perspective today. While it’s unlikely that this song will find its way onto the salad bar of Country Radio™ for all the obvious reasons, there is no doubt it would find a significant audience.
What gets me most about this song is the gray area. In the final verse, Lloyd provides her ex-lover grace that I didn’t expect. This isn’t a black-and-white, good versus evil storyline. It’s not about angels or demons (honky tonk or otherwise). The song is a portrait, for all to see, of what kind of life a lot of women are living.
This single perfectly complements “Ever Good Man” — her most recent previous release. I’m sure these two songs will anchor what will certainly be a top album of 2025.
Nick Mac & The Noise featuring Fancy Marie - “Only Hope”
Hurricane Helene’s impact on Ashville is hard to put into words. The water came fast and washed away the infrastructure and those who depended upon it. More than 100 people died in North Carolina during the storm. In the immediate aftermath, communications were spotty at best, and people were forced to call into the radio in hopes that loved ones who were seeking connection were listening at that second.
There is comfort in the instant communication, but there is also dependence. When that is washed away — fear rushes in. “Only Hope” chronicles these difficult first few days after the storm. It also includes real clips from people calling these stations.
I’m not crying. You’re crying.
All proceeds from the song will support Valley Strong Disaster Relief in Swannanoa, North Carolina — so listen to it, and a few fractions of a cent will make their way to a good cause.
Sara Bug - “No Man No Kids”
With a lovely pedal steel and piano intro, this song beautifully explores the pressures of skirting norms while still feeling the pressures of those living up to expectations. Bug carefully navigates tropes of being on the road instead of in a home with a husband and children, love lost and loneliness to deliver a unique version of those tried and true country themes supported by clever, nuanced allusions to God, family and sacrifice for the craft. She’s been pushing her other single, “Back in Nashville (Take 2),” which is a banger — but this one feels more abstract and personal simultaneously. I’m excited to see what Bug does next.
J Rod Wald - “Oklahoma Girl”
I’m contractually obligated to like a song with this title. After marrying an Oklahoma girl, it’s just part of the deal. But after the title got me in, the power pop nameless girl vibe and the hardcore Red Dirt sound kept me interested.
It’s fun to see the influence of my gateway country music seeping into current tunes. Cross Canadian Ragweed’s fingerprints are all over this song.
I’ve created a playlist for paid subscribers to access all these tunes in one place. I'm trying to give you some value for your support! If you sign up, you, too, will get access to this playlist! Pretty cool, huh?